The bid to be the default search engine in Safari continues, Yahoo does "eyes" to Apple

What will be the default search engine will select Apple Safari, both for iOS version to the version in OS X? As you know, since we already talked about this in November, Apple renewed the contract in 2010 with Google, which stipulated to this search engine as the default browser engine just this year 2015.

We all know the veiled war between Apple and Google, although Tim Cook obviously have a much more diplomatic character in this respect that Steve Jobs, it seems that this agreement with Google will end there. And now come into play other ... Yahoo and Bing with Microsoft are really interested in getting the contract and now Yahoo, which in a recent earnings conference has openly talked about it.

Google snatches Apple the title of most valuable brand

Add to Flipboard Magazine.

100 Top BrandZ is a rating system of marks used a methodology based on the financial results and contributions of the brand innovation that generate interest and appreciation for the said brand. In this list Apple took 3 consecutive years as the first, but Google has snatched the first place this year. 

Word Lens for iOS Free

Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Do youemember Word Lens?, the popular translator based on augmented reality was highlighted by Apple in the latest announcement of the iPhone 5S. Well, just a week after the purchase of their creators, Quest Visual, by Google, the app just got entirely free to all. 

Students at Columbia University created a system to run iOS apps on Android

Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Six students of Columbia University in the United States have developed Cider, a system that lets you run Android apps on iOS. How we hear. Performance is not exactly great, but as proof of concept, get a compatibility layer between these operating systems is undoubtedly a singular feat. 

Cider is an architecture that modifies Android to mimic the application binary interface of iOS allowing it to run their binaries. For this, the new combination of techniques for compatibility between the two mechanisms that are used include: adaptation code at compile time and diplomatic functions. The first reduces the effort required to support multiple binary interfaces (iOS apps, and the Android), while the second allows iOS apps to access the Android libraries and interfaces of hardware and software. 

Looks complicated because it is. No talk of using a virtual machine, but something even more transparent at all levels, convincing the code of iOS apps that are running on the Apple XNU kernel instead Linux kernel of Android. Attentive to sample video done with a Nexus 7 tablet which runs Cider iOS apps like Yelp or iBooks. Yes, slow, but more or less functional. 



Note that at the moment it is only a prototype and its implementation is incomplete. The authors point out that today's phones and tablets equipped with many features that hope to use Android (including GPS, camera, Bluetooth, etc ...) that are not supported by Cider.

The students plan to continue their research and further develop Cider, but if you use Android and expect to download iOS apps shortly, better go saving for the iPhone 6. As the research project is great, but considering that the only official source for downloading apps is the App Store, how long do you think it will take Apple in iOS modify and / or Xcode to introduce additional security measures? And not to mention the army of lawyers eager to war.

Improvements in the speed of Safari with JavaScript

Add to Flipboard Magazine.

The optimization and increasing speed of JavaScript engines has become one of the main battlefields of web browsers. Google became all set to Safari, but Apple seems willing to return the throne. 

The recent changes in WebKit, the open source project maintained by Apple and on which Safari is built, give its JavaScript engine an perfomance injection making it significantly faster than Chrome in some benchmarks, particularly shining when executing code asm.js not optimized for the special subset of JavaScript developed by Mozilla to interpret C and C++ code.

The secret to this improvement is hidden in the so-called FTLJIT, a set of changes that use the LLVM compiler like JIT system and although it is still in the experimental stage, it can turn it in last Nightly Build of Safari resorting to Terminal.

Is this one of the new Apple OS X 10.10 or there is still much work ahead to the imminent presentation at WWDC 2014? With a launching, we would have to place around October, should apply themselves.

Facebook removed Poke and camera apps for iOS

Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Last Friday we met the withdrawal by his two Facebook apps for iOS. These two applications have gone unnoticed by the App Store. Poke First of all, similar to instant messaging SnapChat has not earned thrill. The other was the Camera app with many effects to our iPhone.

Know? Not much? Well, I think that has been one of the reasons that have disappeared from the App Store. Both were created by the creative team of Facebook, but were not paid much attention, nor were conveniently updated.

Poke was an application that was never important, the number of users that managed to attract was very small and even Zuckerberg acknowledged how little used. Camera was born shortly after the purchase of Instagram by Facebook and we all know who was the queen of photographic applications.

The business model of Facebook

In recent years we have witnessed a series of moves by Facebook which suggest that the company is guided by a team of hysterical chimpanzees, shopping without much sense, phones with Android software layer directed exclusively to use of social network... 

The explanation is simple... Facebook looking for a business model and even if we think we do, is not yet entirely clear. Obviously the potential is there and the network is undeniable, but it is not clear yet how to take real economic return.

More than one billion people are real potential and it shows the number of commercial brands that have a presence in the social network. A perfect channel to live and stay in touch with your customers canal. 

But still have a long way to go, as happened to Google. We have recently seen shopping companies, which then sell for not getting desired results. 

Rumor: Google Play Music for iPad

Add to Flipboard Magazine.

For some time the rumor that Google Play Music going out for iPad is hovering all areas of news sites. Too long version of Google Play Music for iOS was released. They have discovered that the iPad app is "hidden" in the iPhone version.

As many users have been able to ascertain, the template interface designed specifically for iPad is included in the iPhone app since last update. To discover just have to change a parameter within the code. 

What does this discovery? We will have Google Play Music for iPad soon. The lack of ads could come by too much suspicion by Google to test more the interface, or must wait for wanting to announce this new product version. Each company has listings and developments in their own way.

Google Maps for iOS, now with offline maps

Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Apple's maps have improved significantly since its launch in 2012. Fortunately, the break with Google Maps forced the guys from Mountain View to launch its own iOS app with all the features of the original and many others that Google had refused to Apple and users that yes they were available for Android. 

With the release of version 3.0 of Google Maps app for iOS gets to the end the same level of benefits that the Android version, featuring a much anticipated new maps as offline mode to continue browsing without problem even when we travel or in a place with bad connection.

Other new features include improved turn navigation showing distance and arrival time, a faster alternative routes to access information on the total time walking on the results of public transport more convenient way.

In addition, it is now easier to calculate distances using the scale bar, searching without using the keyboard with Google Voice Search or add bookmarks to save and share a location holding your finger anywhere on the map.

How to save maps for offline navigation

To access the new feature of Google Maps you must place a bookmark or search and pull up the information bar that appears at the bottom revealing options that location. Click the button "Save map for offline use" and set the area you want. It is simple once you know it's there.

"The areas include data downloaded maps and street maps. Approach for a detailed view of your map offline. Some features such as satellite imagery and terrain, indoor maps and 3D buildings are not available offline. Functions that require a network connection is not available offline".

Probably because of a licensing issue with some of the companies that provide data to Google, not all countries have the option to download maps. Is not a problem for iOS version, rather a current limitation of Google itself, so consult the list of available countries can be useful.  

Google divides his Drive in separate applications for iOS

Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Google has given us the month-end surprise yesterday launching Documents and Sheets, two separate apps, to manage text documents and spreadsheets stored in Google Drive. An application for each file type: like Apple with iWork and Microsoft with Office for iPad.

There is not a simple separation: each of these applications will have the ability to create and edit documents without an internet connection, with a very clean interface,  focused only on those files. If we want to see the rest of data we have stored in Google Drive, follow its official application available for it. 

The presentation application will "coming soon" to complete the circle office automation. So we have three trios iOS applications face to face: 

• Pages / Word / Documents
• Numbers / Excel / Sheets
• Keynote / PowerPoint / Presentations. 

The battle has begun. 

These two new Google apps are completely free, and you can download for iPhone and iPad from the App Store.

Steve Jobs, the most influential business leader of the past 25 years according to CNBC

Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Steve Jobs continues to receive posthumous tributes from several institutions: this time the U.S. network CNBC who has named Apple co-founder the most influential business leader of the past quarter century, leading a list of 25 influential executives. 

In the details of this tribute, CNBC detailed that Jobs has chosen as the first of the list because while Bill Gates redefined the way in which millions of people worked, Steve redefined the style in which these people live and uploaded the level integrating technology in everyday life.

More than any other member of our extraordinary list of executives and entrepreneurs (all outstanding leaders). Steve's vision has led to changes beyond their industry and has put his undeniable stamp on the culture.


On this list are Bill Gates (second position), Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, the creators of Google Sergey Brin and Larry Page, Eric Schmidt, Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook and the owner of Inditex Amancio Ortega. Apple already has another reason to keep reminding the creator of all them philosophy.

Spotify, ready to beat iTunes in Europe

Add to Flipboard Magazine.
The race to be the best digital music service seems to be changing position. Spotify, according to one of their representatives, would be gaining ground in Europe at the expense of the services offered by iTunes.

Spotify has added more than a million active users in the UK for the past four months. This move is part of its attempt to take control and gain ground on iTunes for the service of the European continent's largest digital music. The benefits of Spotify could have exceeded those of iTunes in Europe.

This was stated in a responsible Sportify in Business Insider recently also explains that the service is growing rapidly, much more than expected for your satisfaction. According to reports, downloads sales are declining in large numbers while Spotify is growing greatly throughout Europe and through iTunes, particularly in the UK. In addition, as indicated by the representative, a large part of the new users are also subscribers Spotify premium service.

Kevin Brown, the source of these claims Spotify has indicated that they do not see iTunes as a true competitor. "Actually," he explained, "the real danger is on Youtube." In addition, Brown has not hesitated to criticize the ability to keep out of Spotify to some artists who have had to date iTunes, although this has not been a real disadvantage, he says. These data come on the eve of an expected launch of iTunes Radio in other parts of the world, but do not know if it will be also for Europe and if this will affect this data.

The iPad, a tablet you use and all

Add to Flipboard Magazine.

You carry the Nintendo Wii to your parents house for Christmas to have fun as a family with a strong boxing and bowling session in Wii Sports. Your parents freak out and immediately decide they want one. Do not wait too long and the same falls Reyes them. Their neighbors are soon also try the game as if it were a virus, suddenly everyone needs a Wii. 

Surely you remember the situation, it was very common a few years ago, as common as all those consoles terminasen gathering dust as a decorative item plus saloon. With tablets has gone something like, everyone wanted one last Christmas and as above were undoubtedly one of the gifts star.

No wonder. After all this is a great invention. One for the first time about really personal computer users of all profiles and age. My father reviews the latest eBay auctions comfortably in his chair while my mother lying on the sofa reading an electronic book or surf the Internet laughing with the last link we have spent her friends. And yes, a Wii is watching them from the corner of the room where he has spent the last six years off. 

But of course, my parents use iPad, the second generation to be exact, and use it daily because they not only like, but also understand and know how to use it for things you really wanted to do but often not made ​​by the difficulty sitting down at the computer and face their thousand inconveniences.

His neighbors also succumbed to the fever tablets, but the iPad was $499 more than they were willing to spend on this occasion. Luckily for them, the supply of tablets that had come under the shadow of the iPad stretched in all directions. Samsung, Sony and hundreds of previously unknown brands crowded with more attractive prices, some as ridiculous. All work the same and serve the same, right?

All work the same and serve the same, right?

Apparently not . Or that's the first conclusion is reached again and again every time you look Chitika graphs on web browsing from tablets and find that year after year , by far the tightening competition and the market flooded with tablets to follow bargain price , hardly anyone use anything other than the iPad . They have tablets , yes, but as decorative items.

And is that not all tablets are the same. Even those that work great, even on paper outperform the iPad in technical data that do not interest any mother. Only one has iOS, only one has 500,000 applications are not extended versions of phones, only one hit as soon as for those who already have one for years continue squeezing without feeling the need to buy another. It's called the first iPad you buy will be your faithful companion for longer than is best for Apple itself. The rest? Well, they are great in the magazine or just in the gap left above the Wii.

Acompli. Mail and Calendars productivity center for iOS

Add to Flipboard Magazine.

There are already many postal operators we've seen for iOS Appleismo go through, all with the intention of wanting to move the email into the era of mobile short messages and in which we find ourselves. And almost all have completed or acquired by someone or having a rather shy success. Now comes accompli wanting to break that tradition by merging the client emails and calendars in a single application.

Accompli is divided into four sections easily accessible from a bottom bar interface: email, calendar, attachments and agenda. Thus we can consult timetables and book related messages inviting phonebook contacts without switching applications, saving many screen taps.



We also have some useful features which we have to respond quickly to short post, as the ability to share our location by integrating an interactive map in the message. 

Accompli is completely free, and an option to consider if our work requires us to look at our inbox and our agenda constantly. Works with Exchange and Google accounts. Additionally you can add optional premium services for businesses and more professional users.

Apple vs Samsung: Google agrees to protect Samsung against charges of patent infringement

Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Google two years ago agreed to cover some of Samsung's potential legal costs as protection against Apple's latest multibillion-dollar patent lawsuit, a rare glimpse into how closely the two companies aligned themselves in the smartphone wars, a federal court jury learned Tuesday.

Apple disclosed emails and letters showing that Google executives agreed to pay some of Samsung's legal costs if it loses its patent fight against Apple. Apple unveiled the evidence to show that Samsung and Google are intertwined. The tactic was meant to undermine Samsung's argument that it has nothing to do with whether Google-based technology integral to its smartphones and tablets violates Apple's patent rights.

Central to Samsung's defense is its argument that Apple should have targeted Google because the patents at issue in the trial are based on Google's technology and its Android operating system, which has run Samsung smartphones and tablets.

But Apple put the previously secret 2012 Google agreements in front of the jury to bolster its position that Google's role is irrelevant because Samsung controls the technology it includes and sells in its own smartphones and tablets.

The evidence surfaced as Apple and Samsung reach the final stage of their epic federal court showdown. The Google indemnity agreements cover two of the five patents Apple has asserted in the trial.

Google representatives could not be reached for comment.

With a few pieces of testimony left to finish Friday, lawyers for the feuding smartphone powers will turn to finalizing a thick packet of instructions for the eight-member jury and head to closing arguments Monday.

On Thursday, Samsung wrapped up its case against Apple, which is accused of violating two of the South Korean tech giant's patents, including one video patent alleged to be involved in the iPhone's FaceTime feature. A Samsung expert told the jury that Apple should pay about $6 million for infringing those patents.

Apple argues that its technology does not infringe any Samsung patents.

Samsung's case against Apple, however, is a sideshow to the four-week trial's main event. Apple has urged the jury to find that Samsung smartphones and tablets violate five software patents in iPhones and iPads, and has asked the jury to award about $2.2 billion in damages.

Samsung disputes infringing those patents, arguing they were for the most part developed by Google as part of its Android operating system. In addition, a Samsung expert has valued the Apple patents at about $38 million, a fraction of the royalties sought by the iPhone maker.

The jury could begin deliberating as soon as Monday afternoon.

Reporting source: Howard Mintz

Apple wins or Apple loses, really can be only one?

Add to Flipboard Magazine.

One of the great debates that are built around the technology business is about who is winning and who is losing. It seems no middle ground support and often results in one winner and several losers. Depends on who you ask, you can say that Apple and Google won, Samsung and Microsoft lose, especially the latter.

Google wins because Apple lost and Microsoft has been crushed. Microsoft is ready for an imminent return because the other two were asleep. Samsung is overtaking Apple and Microsoft at the same time. Is this true? Is there a common base or economic sense to support these claims today?

I win, you lose

There is a misperception that the economy is a zero sum ​​game when you lose. That everything I wear is because you have removed yourself. This concept is closely linked to the term commercialism, we define: 

Economic system based primarily on trade development, mainly to export, and considers the possession of precious metals as a characteristic sign of wealth.

From this perspective, the economy of the countries was during the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries as if it were a game of poker: the players' chip pass from hand to hand according the skill of each. Similarly, the wealth of each country is measured in terms of the amount of precious metals (gold and silver) which was in their possession, having two ways to enlarge:

1. Trading, exporting more than it imports. If lots sold abroad, goods are exchanged for precious metals and the country's wealth increases. 

2. Attacking the neighboring country to plunder their gold and silver and protecting the territory from external invasions.

This perception that it was only possible to increase the wealth neighbor taking it away (peacefully or militarily), seems to come to this day and is installed directly in the technology industry. Involves large as Microsoft, Samsung, Google and, of course, Apple. 

Rethinking the winners and losers

What if all this is not so? Is it possible that Apple, Google, Microsoft and Samsung win at the same time and coexist in relative "peace"? That is not necessary for Apple to win, others have to lose. I think it is possible, in fact, has long been so.

If you look at the different businesses, we see that they are not 100% incompatible with each other:

• Apple is a vertical business that is almost impossible to replicate at that scale. Its main strength lies in the attractiveness of its closed system. 

• Google has a universal character who aspires to be everywhere and on all platforms, both iOS and Android and Windows Phone. Not forgetting the PC, mobile and tablet. Where will be the user, will be Google. 

• Google is like Microsoft in its horizontal nature concerning the platform. The new CEO seems to have regained the essence of Microsoft to have presence beyond its own platform. For example Office for iPad.

• Samsung, Korean hybrid that also follows a vertical scheme but aims to have a product for every age and budget.

Each has its strengths and weaknesses. Some do better than others and will win money, sometimes more and sometimes less. The rivalry is more intense among businesses of the same type as the Apple and Samsung vertical or horizontal as Google and Microsoft, but that does not mean that one should die for the other to succeed.

Can Apple beat all records when discloses its quarterly results, but that does not mean that Google and company will have to go wrong, do you think?

Apple and Google asking developers to exclusive games

Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Both companies offer incentives such as discounts, exclusive or more temporary presence in their digital stores.

Apple and Google are trying to get developers to create exclusive games for their devices. According to a report that includes The Wall Street Journal, both companies offer incentives to game developers, such as more visibility into their digital stores or exclusive functions.

The report notes that Apple got an exclusive agreement with Electronic Arts for the popular strategy game "Plants vs. Zombies 2». The agreement was that Apple would give the game a more aggressive promotion in the AppStore, in exchange for the title to be exclusive to iOS platforms over a period of two months. The same happened with the game "Cut The Rope 2 '. The developer, ZeptoLab, agreed to an exclusivity agreement three months that the title change was always present and view the AppStore.

Apple is not the only performing these maneuvers. The report notes that Google has done similar actions. According to the Russian developer Game Insight, it was common for Google would give them aid when incorporating objects to play, provided they had the shape or appearance of the Android robot mascot.

The report says that for a long time, companies have always opted to launch their first games for iOS devices. This trend seems to be changing in recent years and some developers do not yield to the demands of Apple or Google. They prefer to launch their digital stores in both games simultaneously and make the most profit possible.

Still, it is not surprising that Google and Apple try to perform such maneuvers and attract more players to their platforms. As stated in the study, it is estimated that mobile users spend annually more than $ 16 billion, and of this amount, 70% is spent on video games.

Google Glass will be compatible with text messaging iPhone

Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Google has not forgotten his promise: Glass Google said its going to be compatible with iOS devices and gradually have seen evidence of this. This week we will see a more through an update of Android, which will allow smart glasses to read messages arriving on our iPhone.

But for now we will not be able to issue orders that the iPhone is capable of understanding through the Google Glass, so we'll just have a tool for reading SMS or iMessage we receive.

This is the look of the notifications have messages on our iPhone interface Google Glass:

Although luckily we have other unofficial methods to spice up those notifications. Not to mention third-party applications can also be supported. But failing to see if the glasses congeal on the market and whether the official app works, this compatibility is good news for the tech who prefer an iPhone to an Android terminal

Marissa Mayer (Yahoo) wants iOs searches

"Recode" has published an interesting article. It commented that Marissa Mayer, CEO of Yahoo, has been developing a proposal to convince Apple and start using its search engine as the default in iOs.

This would mean that instead of Google, would be Yahoo who offer us the results if we decide otherwise. To which as you know, now we can do, we can stop using Google as a search engine and select either Yahoo or Bing. But...does anyone do it? No, we were in the great majority of cases the default.

Considering the number of iOS devices in the market imagine advertising revenue generated. If you remember, Google pays Apple billion as the default search engine. This figure is estimated because of what Google pays for each dollar earned to the published searches on iOS.

Make Yahoo the default search engine, would hit hard to Google

We will see if Yahoo is able to convince Apple possibly with iOS 8, we do know is that right now Yahoo seems to have improved and display advertising revenue increased in the first quarter of 2014.

After Google Maps do without the benefit of its own Maps service, doing so with the form would be a knock on effect. No wonder that Apple has thought of casting out iOS Google services. As said Steve Jobs, Holy War with Google.

Samsung Google wanted to do the dirty work, attacking Apple

• New documents show how Samsung would have weighed the possibility that Google did the dirty work of attacking Apple. 

• In that time Samsung was one of Apple's suppliers for its processors in iOS devices.

Lawsuits, contingency plans and a lot of dirty war. This could define what Apple and Samsung have been living for the past few years, as is clear from the dozens of documents that the last great judgment is showing. Apparently, the director of Samsung America itself would have asked his marketing manager to weigh the possibility that Google did the dirty work of a campaign against Apple. Thus, in the struggle against Samsung Apple would have no more than a secondary position, without staining your hands in no time.

Samsung against Apple, Apple against Samsung. Two of the largest companies in the world have been and are confronted. Some say the first hit while other courts of half the world already have spoken ten times for both parties. But it seems that this latest trial, which began March 31, will be decided once and for all who is right. And it is in this trial where most documents are filtered. Among them was a very interesting mail that Samsung asked whether it would be a smear campaign led by Apple Google:

"How you told me, we are not able to compete directly (against Apple) with our marketing. If the policy of Samsung is to avoid attacking Apple for being a major customer, can we ask Google to launch a campaign against Apple based in the many best products Android has for Q4? "

Interesting strategy Samsung against Apple, which due to the inability to directly attack the company for being chip supplier, weighed the possibility that a third party did. A technique that, despite its legality is questionable ethically. 

Apple's attitude toward money

"Money is a good servant but a bad master" (Alexandre Dumas). 

What is Apple's attitude about money? Other times we have said that what moves and motivates them is to make this great product:

"We are pleased with our revenues, but our goal is not to make money. It may sound a bit frivolous, but it's true. Our goal and what excites us is to make great products. If we succeed, people will like and if we are operationally competent, we will do money" (Jony Ive). 

Apple makes products you like and appeal to emotion, that is something that can not always explain. Apple can not compete with the specifications because the next day a competitor shows a slimmer, more powerful or more memory smartphone. 

So new rules under which they always have advantage over others invented. The Cupertino company often sells because it goes to the heart of people, sensitive part, the irrational. Technology has become a very important element in the massive day for millions of people and, therefore, depends on the tastes of the people. It is subjective to 100%.